Process of making shoes



March 17, 1936. J v R|THLEY 2,034,329

PROCESS OF MAKING SHOES Filed July 18, 1934 Patented Mar. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF MAKING SHOES Application July 18, 1934, Serial No. 735,849

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to the art of shoe making, and is more particularly concerned with improvements in the manufacture of womens shoes, slippers or the like provided with high 5 heels to which a top lift is attached.

It is customary in the manufacture of such shoes or slippers to finish a heel shape to predetermined size and shape generally by cutting from a wooden block. This heel shape is then finished throughout its -peripheral exposed portion by applying a suitable covering material or coating with a surface finish of appropriate character. This finish completely envelopes the exposed portion of the heel except at the breast surface. In the better grades of shoes the finish is in the form of a separate covering such as fabric, celluloid or the like for the purpose of matching the material from which the shoe upper is made. After application of the finish cover, the semi-finished heel is permanently attached to the shoe and the breast face is thereafter covered by the application thereto of an integral tongue projecting from the shoe bottom so that the covering of the breast face is continuous with the shoe bottom at the shank portion, and completely hides and obliterates the joint between the heel and the shoe proper. Finally, an unfinished top lift blank is attached to the tread end of the heel, trimmed throughout the entire periphery into finished relationship with the shoe heel to which it is attached, and is finally stained or otherwise finished and edge-set to produce a finish in conformity with that of the heel, and as accurate a registration as possible with the heel to which it is attached.

The trimming and finishing of the top lift after attachment to the finished heel requires especial skill with attendant expense to produce the desired accuracy of fit without marring or injuring the relatively fragile covering of the heel. Furthermore. the result which is eventually attained is dependent entirely upon the skill and. accuracy of each individual operator, with a nonuniformity of appearance which would naturally be expected from such an operation.

I have discovered that by providing the heel shape with a socket located accurately with respect to the meeting end of the heel and designed to receive a post attached in predetermined relationship to a top lift, the latter may be made to accurately conform with the finished heel prior to its connection thereto. However, due to the-fact that the breast face of the heel is not finished until attachment to the shoe, and the variation in the thickness of the cover at the breast face making for consequent inequalities at the attaching end of the heel, I have found it necessary to completely finish the peripheral edge of the top lift in accurate registration with the meeting edge of the finished heel except at 5 the breast face, and to provide an extended trimming margin at the breast face which may be hand trimmed into conformity with the covered breast face of the supporting heel after attachment.

In the most simple and efficient form of my invention which Lhave yet devised, I mold and set the top lift to the desired shape and dimensions, with a permanently attached post in predetermined relation thereto. The entire periph- 15 eral edge of the top lift except at the breast is in the final desired shape and dimensions, and when mounted upon the heel by insertion of the post within the socket, the top lift throughout the peripheral edge at the back and sides ac- 20 curately registers and fits upon the corresponding covered portion of the heel, due allowance being made in the size of the top lift to compensate for the additional thickness of the covering applied to the heel shape. When such a 25 top lift is applied to a heel covered both at the breast and sides, it accurately registers except at the projecting breast margin which is then trimmed into exact conformity with the breast face of the supporting heel and stained or fin- 30 ished in any appropriate manner to match the remainder of the peripheral edge.

By virtue of this method, not only is the final trimming operation reduced to its simplest terms and confined to a region where lack of skill is '35 least likely to be noticed, but in addition that portion of the top lift which ordinarily determines the appearance of the shoe to the greatest extent has a nicety of fit and appearance not possible of attainment with the ordinary methods of hand trimming after application now in vogue.

Although my invention is particularly concerned with a top lift of the detachable type maintained upon the heel through a complementary post and socket, it is also a decided improvement in connection with the use of top lifts slugged on to the supporting heel in the accepted manner.

In applying this type of top lift, I propose to apply and finish the heel, mold the top lift to predetermined dimensions and with a finished peripheral edge at the sides and back, slug the top lift on to the finished heel in exact registration therewith through the provision of a jig or die or its equivalent, and finally hand trim the projecting margin of the top lift into accurate conformity with the breast face of the heel.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred form of the invention, Fig. 1 illustrates a semi-finished heel attached to a shoe before covering the breast face with the integral tongue; Fig. 2 illustrates the molding of the top lift before application; Fig. 3 illustrates the application of the'top lift to the finished heel with the projecting margin at the breast; Fig. 4 illustrates the finished heel with attached top lift after trimming of the projecting breast; Fig. 5'illustrates the application of a top lift to be slugged to the heel, with the final trimming operation similar to that carried out in Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a detail illustrating a modified method of applying the finished cover to the breast face of the heel.

Referring particularly to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the heel shape l0 may be cut in the usual manner from a wooden block, and enveloped throughout the exposed back and side portions with a covering l2, which may be of colored celluloid if the heel is attached to a leather shoe, or of fabric or the like if intended to be attached to a fabric shoe. This covering, as will be evident, does not ordinarily extend across the breast face which is left exposed for application of a separate cover continuous with the shoe bottom. The semi-finished heel is provided with a socket M for the reception of a detachable lift in a manner which will be evident to those skilled in the art. The socket is located in predetermined relationship to the lower end of the heel, and serves for the accurate positioning of a top lift. The heel after attachment to a shoe I6 is covered at the breast face by the application of an integral tongue 18, forming an extension of the material of the shoe bottom, which may be leather, this covering sweeping in a smooth curve from the shoe bottom down the breast face of the heel, completely covering and obliterating the joint. The covering at the lower end of the heel may be cut off flush with the meeting face, as indicated in Fig. 3, or may be turned over as indicated at 20 in Fig. 6, and caused to project beneath the top lift. In either case the breast cover is neatly trimmed to form a smooth line of jointure with the adjoining heel cover.

The top lift indicated generally at 22 is sized to a predetermined shape and form within a die cavity 24, which permanently connects a post 26 at the same operation. This top lift is not only in exact conformity with the supporting heel throughout the exposed portion of the back and sides, but is finally finished throughout the exposed margin with the contour indicated. The top lift is intentionally provided with an extending margin 28 at the breast, which, after application to the shoe heel, is hand trimmed to conform accurately with the covered breast face joining therewith. After trimming into exact registration, the breast edge of the top lift is finished into conformity with the remainder of the edge.

In the modified operation shown in Fig. 5, instead of providing the heel and top lift with a cooperating socket and post, the top lift is designed to be slugged on to the solid end of the heel by attaching nails. This top lift is molded into exact conformity with the heel in the same manner as previously described, and is then accurately located with respect to the heel by a split die 30 which envelops the heel end and top lift during the slugging operation. Opening of thedie permits removal of the assembled parts,

and the projecting breast face margin of the top lift is thereafter trimmed and finished in conformity with the breast face of the heel, as previously described.

Although the device for insuring registration of the top lift and heel is indicated as a split die, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that any other suitable means for insuring registration during the process of attachment is within the scope of the invention.

It will be evident that in both cases the peripheral edge of the top lift throughout except at the breast face is completely finished before attachment to the heel, and is free from any variation in size or appearance which would otherwise be caused by variation in individual skill.

Although the heel covering has been described as a separate cover of celluloid, leather, fabric or suitable material matching that of the upper, it will be understood that the heel may be surfacefinished by a lacquer or similar material applied directly thereto, or impregnating the material of the heel, and that it is the purpose of the invention to cover heels so finished as well as heels finished with a separate and attaching layer of covering material.

The heel which is commonly produced from a wooden block may be made of molded material, having a homogeneous or suitable inserted socket for lift attaching and locating purposes, and the top lift which is molded into a predetermined shape and contour may be varied in any manner to improve the lit and appearance of the top lift upon the attaching end of the heel member, all without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The process of making womens high heel shoes, slippers or the like which comprises the formation of a heel formed to size and surface finished throughout except at the breast face, attaching the heel to a shoe, applying a finish cover to the breast of the heel, molding a top lift with a peripheral edge in exact registration with the meeting edge of the heel and projecting therebeyond at the breast edge of the heel to provide a trimming margin, applying the top lift to the heel in a predetermined position of registration, and finally trimming and finishing the projecting breast edge of the top lift into conformity with the finished breast face of the heel.

2. The process of making womens high heel shoes, slippers or the like which comprises the formation of a heel shape, applying a surface finish to the exposed portion of the heel shape except at the breast face, attaching the semifinished heel to a shoe, completely covering the exposed breast face with an integral tongue forming a continuation of the shoe bottom at the shank, applying to the finished heel a top lift fitting the heel and registering therewith throughout the rear and side portions and projecting therebeyond at the breast portion to provide a trimming margin, and finally trimming the projecting edge of the top lift into conformity with the breast portion of the heel.

3. The process of making womens high heel shoes, slippers or the like which comprises the formation of a heel formed to size and surface finished throughout except at the breast face, providing the heel with a receiving socket accurately located therein, attaching the heel to a shoe, molding a top lift with a peripheral edge in registration with the meeting edge of the heel and projecting therebeyond at the breast edge to provide a trimming margin and provided with a complementary post in predetermined relationship, applying the top lift to the heel by insertion of the post in the socket causing the finished edge of the top lift to register with the adjoining surface of the heel, and finally trimming and finishing the projecting breast edge of the top lift into conformity with the breast face of the heel.

4. The process of making womens high heel shoes, slippers or the like which comprises the formation of a heel formed to size and surface the meeting edge of the heel and projecting I therebeyond at the breast edge of the heel to provide a trimming margin, permanently attaching the top lift while so located, and finally trimming and finishing the projecting breast edge of the top lift into conformity with the finished 10 breast edge of the heel.

JAMES VERNER CRITCHLEY. 

